THE ROYAL SCAM

The Royal Scam is the fifth studio album from US pop/ rock act Steely Dan and IMO a welcome return to form after the two last albums Pretzel Logic ( 1974) and Kaly Lied ( 1975) which I found way too formula written for a commercial hit list market. They are not bad albums by any means. In fact they are extremely professional and polished pop/ rock albums. The Royal Scam just has that extra jazzy dimension that also made Steely Dan´s second album Countdown to Ecstasy ( 1973) such a great album. I guess Steely Dan had satisfied their record company enough to be allowed to add a bit more artistic spice to their music again.

The music is laidback and cool jazzy pop/ rock. Very well written and performed. The album starts with three great songs in Kid Charlemagne, The Caves of Altamira and Don´t Take Me Alive and continues that way for the duration of the album. There are a few more average songs like Sign of Stranger along the way but the album ends with the great Title track and I´m left smiling and thinking that this was a good album. There are more solos and interesting instrumental interplay on The Royal Scam than has been the case on any other Steely Dan album before it. It´s by far the best album from the band/ studio project up until then.

The musicianship is excellent. Everyone contributing to The Royal Scam are higly skilled musicians.

The production is professional and polished. No raw edges only pleasant and warm sounds.

For all the praises I´ve given The Royal Scam it´s still just a sophisticated pop/ rock album and the commercial appeal is very much present here as well as on every other Steely Dan release. It´s an aquired taste if this is something that will turn you off. Personally I´m biased. 3 BIG stars is deserved here for a highly professional product.